Dr. Anna Oswald receives the Teacher of the Year award from medical student Daniel Skubleny
When Anna Oswald's medical students speak of her, their unanimous perspective is that she pulls no punches about the career they're getting into. She lets them know it can be gratifying, crushing and complex, all at the same time. It's that frankness they've come to appreciate, they say.
"She shared so many of her personal stories about her experiences going through medical school and into residency that few other souls are brave enough to speak about, let alone to a massive group of students," says Brittany Kula, a third-year medical student at the University of Alberta. "She taught us about developing a strong network of friends to deal with the harder times to come, but also about the rewards at the end of it all."
Oswald is an associate professor in the Division of Rheumatology in the Department of Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry. Her efforts to share her personal experience and insights with her students have not gone unnoticed: Oswald has been chosen by the class of 2016 as the faculty's Teacher of the Year.
"I think it's a really delightful award and I feel very humbled by the students because they have lots of great teachers," says Oswald.
Oswald believes much of what makes her the professor she is today comes from her own teachers when she was in medical school. While she admits she's not easy on her students, demanding their very best, she hopes that by speaking not only of medical theory, but also of the emotional challenges of providing patient care, it will help her students prepare for the career ahead. For many the message has struck home.
"At a time in the school year where I was beginning to feel burnt out from lecture-heavy coursework and weekly quizzes, Dr. Oswald's honesty and eloquence about what medicine means to her, and about the patients whose stories have stayed with her, helped me remember why I had wanted to be a doctor in the first place," relates Kathryn Wood, one of Oswald's students. "Maybe it's strange that I found her honesty about the most difficult parts of medicine rejuvenating and inspiring, but it reminded me that medicine is about much more than facts and textbooks."
"My teaching is about sharing my enthusiasm and really trying to convey my love for the profession to them," says Oswald. "I try to balance that with educational principles and making sure that the things I do are actually pushing them to get to their best and to make the really hard transitions that happen for doctors; going from students who sit in a classroom, to people who care for sick and dying patients."
Oswald is one of more than 30 professors and preceptors who received awards on Oct. 22 at the Celebration of Teaching and Learning. The awards are co-hosted by the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and the Medical Students Association.
"This opportunity to recognize excellence among all of our tremendous teachers highlights our continuing success as a faculty," says Fraser Brenneis, vice-dean of education. "It is clear that in addition to imparting knowledge and skills, these teachers also bring a passion for medicine, which is invaluable to our students' transition to becoming physicians."
Celebration of Teaching and Learning award recipients 2014
Faculty Awards
Wm. A Shandro Award for Teaching Excellence in Surgery
Richard Fox
E.N. Skakum Award
Lisa Purdy
David Cook Award
The Surgery 101 Team
Arnold P. Gold Foundation, Humanism and Excellence in Teaching Awards
Jacqueline Clayton
Erin Stolte
Johan Bolton
Mary Pat Schlosser
Mike Saba
Elizabeth DeBruyne
Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry 'Excellence in Humanism'
Karan Fathimani
Nigel Flook
Paul Humphries
Shona MacLachlan
Melanie Marsh-Joyal
Patrick San Agustin
Laura Stovel
Matthew Tennant
MSA Year 1 Awards
Block of the Year
Immunity, Infection and Inflammation: Sarah Forgie
Teacher of the Year
Sarah Forgie
Teaching Excellence
Amy Tan
Discovery Learning Preceptor of the Year
Mohit Bhutani
Discovery Learning Preceptor Excellence
Thomas Jeerakathil
Physical Skills Preceptor Excellence
Neil Brown
MSA Year 2 Awards
Block of the Year
Gastroenterology: Lana Bistritz
Teacher of the Year
Anna Oswald
Teaching Excellence
Andrew Scarfe
Discovery Learning Preceptor of the Year
Anil Walji
Discovery Learning Preceptor Excellence
Jack Jhamandas
Gilbert Scholars Preceptor of the Year
Ryan Cooper
Gilbert Scholars Preceptor Excellence
Trevor Schuler
MSA Year 3 Awards
Preceptor of the Year
Heidi Choi
Preceptor Excellence
Jo Ann Robinson
MSA Year 4 Awards
Preceptor of the Year
Pat San Agustin
Preceptor Excellence
Paul Kivi
As voted by MSA Year 1 & 2 Students
Excellence in Pre-Clinical Mentorship Award
Anthony Seto
Recognition of Pre-Clinical Mentorship Award
Christine Webber